Hi everybody, I’m new here. My name is JKR. I’ve been working in Flash animation for the past going on 8 years (I feel old…) and I decided to switch over to Toon Boom Animate because I’m tired of Flash fighting me all the time plus I’ll be starting a studio soon and want to get everyone on the same page for a more permanent solution.
ANYWAY, I’m going to be upgrading to a new computer soon and I was hoping anyone with some knowledge might be able to give me some tips on what I should be buying in regards to making Toon Boom as efficient as possible! I will be doing animation for the web mostly, however also export it for DVD and in HD on YouTube in the future. This computer will be almost exclusively used for my animation job, so I want it to be right for Toon Boom to be all that it can be.
Thanks, I really appreciate any advice from people who know better than I do!
-JKR
Hey, thanks a lot Lilly!
I have no idea what all that means, but thankfully my awesome wife who is the nerd of our family was glad to hear all that info. 
She wanted to know if it will run well on a 64 bit machine? I know you said it’s 32-bit software, but will it run just as well on a 64-bit system? (Also do you expect to make a 64-bit version down the road?)
Is there any specific graphics card that you know works smashingly for Toon Boom? Apparently I’m told researching cards is a pain.
Thanks again, I (we) appreciate the help!
JKR, it’s funny I was going to do a similar post regarding a new computer In any case, you can find the list of system requirements listed here:
http://beta.toonboom.com/professionals/animate-pro/features
And it does say 32 and 64-bit. My son-in-law will be helping me build a computer and he recommended a GE video card. I think he said they are the people who make Nvidia. I will double check with him to make sure it will work.
You new machine should (if it isn’t don’t buy it) 64 bit. It can run 32bit software fine. It will run just as well on a 64 bit machine.
If you buy a new computer with a good graphics card you will fine, so put some thought into what else you use it for.
Generally I would get more RAM since some applications you use will be 64 bit.
I’m the proud owner of a Cintiq, yep. At this point I wouldn’t want to work without it! Best investment in my business I ever made. Expensive as heck, but absolutely 100% worth saving up for it.
Thanks again for all your help, everyone. I’m excited to get fully into Toon Boom going forward!
Hi JKR! Welcome!
When it comes to computers for Toon Boom, I’d say that the most important aspect of your computer is the graphics card. We interface really well with NVidia, particularly the GeForce line. ATI would also be another good company.
Next most important thing is probably your processor. I’d say ideally you’d have a quad-core computer. I use a dual-core on my laptop and it runs the software just fine, but for render it can be a little bit slow. To take advantage of multi-threading, try to go for a quad-core or above.
Then it comes to memory. We recommend at least 2 gigs of ram. We are still (for the moment) a 32-bit software, so 2 gigs of ram is sufficient for us, but if you want to be running many applications at the same time, then you can get more than that.
Now it just comes down to personal preference on whether you’re more comfortable with Mac or PC, since we interface with both operating systems.
Let me know if you have any more questions!
~Lilly
Definitely get a 64-bit machine - it will serve you better in the long-run. We will at some point be releasing a 64-bit version of the software, but it’s under development at the moment and the conversion will take some time.
I’d recommend any NVidia GeForce graphics card.
Hope this helps!
Oh and the only other thing is, if you don’t have one already, you might consider buying a drawing tablet. I use the Wacom Intuous tablets, or if you can afford it then a lot of animators these days use Cintiqs.
~Lilly